St. Clair Shores polar plungers jump in lake for fun

Glenn Schneemann of Clawson relishes the plunge after he emerges from a canal at the St. Clair Shores Aqua Freeze Festival’s Polar Plunge on Sunday. He did a tribute to Curly of the Three Stooges before jumping in. For The Macomb Daily/DAVID ANGELL

A young lady descends into the water as a St. Clair Shores firefighter waits with a flotation device during the Polar Plunge at the St. Clair Shores Aqua Freeze Festival on Sunday afternoon. For The Macomb Daily/DAVID ANGELL

Amanda McCarty was 500 miles from her hometown of Nashville, Tenn. -- where the temperature was in the 65-degree range -- when she decided to jump into the frigid waters of Lake St. Clair.

McCarty, 27, was one of 30 participants in the inaugural St. Clair Shores Aqua Freeze Festival Polar Plunge on Sunday afternoon in a canal near Blossom Heath Park, where the air temperature was 26. She was visiting family over the weekend when she learned of the event.

“It was amazing,” said a bikini-clad McCarty, who was not shivering as she emerged from the 5-foot-deep water. “This was something that was on my bucket list and now I’ve accomplished it.”

Festival organizers were pleased with the plunge turnout, which included jumpers ranging in age from 14 to 65. Participants paid $25 to jump into the canal and received a T-shirt. Proceeds went to festival expenses.

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St. Clair Shores fire crews cut open a space in the frozen canal for the jump. As Battalion Chief Chris Krotche supervised from a dock, two firefighters and Mayor Kip Walby entered the water wearing wet suits to help the plungers into and out of the water.

Nico Rubello, 27, and his 14-year-old sister Sasha were the first two plungers as their parents, David Rubello and Greta Guest, cheered on from the dock.

“It was a very cold experience,” said Cameron Majchrzak, 15, a ninth-grade student at Lakeview High School.

For first-time plunger Brad Kress, 52, who works at Vibe Credit Union, mastering the nerves to take the leap was a case of mind over matter.

“I have a hot tub outside and I’m used to running from hot water through the cold back inside,” he said. “So I think I can do the opposite, going from the cold to the warmth. It’s the power of the mind.”

For some, it was all about the show. Jennifer Puggini of Clinton Township dressed in a Batman outfit, while Jared Marabule, 36, a General Motors design engineer who jumped with his father, Al, and brother Jason, wore a Buddy the Elf garb.

Glenn Schneemann, 63, of Clawson, did a brief routine dedicated to Curly Howard of the Three Stooges before he jumped in. An experienced plunger, Schneemann loves the sensation of jumping into cold water in the middle of the winter.

“It’s a jolt but I expect it, I embrace it,” he said. “I can’t explain how good it feels -- you come out feeling so alive, it’s electrifying.”

The plunge was a highlight of the festival’s closing day. Festival co-chair Geri Hoffman said she received many positive comments about the three-day event, which included ice sculptures, inflatable rides and live entertainment.

“So many parents on the way out said ‘Thank you - my kids are going to sleep well tonight after playing on the sledding hill,’ We’re happy overall with how things turned out and already thinking about next year,” Hoffman said.